Ja’Tavion Sanders released from hospital; undergoing further evaluation
CHARLOTTE—Carolina Panthers rookie tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders has been released from the hospital and continues to undergo further evaluation for a neck injury, according to head coach Dave Canales. But the news was good, after he was carted off the field on a backboard, and taken to Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center.
“JT was discharged from the hospital, so that’s good news,” Canales told reporters following the 30-27 loss to the Chiefs Sunday at Bank of America Stadium. “I don’t want to make any definitive comments about that, but certainly a positive sign that he’s coming back here to the facility, right now.”
The brief hospitalization took place after a scary hit just before halftime.
“Obviously anytime there’s a neck injury, it can be scary,” reflected running back Chuba Hubbard. “I saw the play. Obviously praying for him, he is a great guy.”
The six minutes he was down felt like hours, as players from both the Panthers and Chiefs took a knee or huddled around a cart on the far sideline. Athletic trainers and medical personnel were carefully loading Sanders onto a backboard, then a cart, as his two fellow rookies and Texas teammates Jonathon Brooks of the Panthers and Xavier Worthy of the Chiefs stood close by, watching over their friend.
Sanders was injured on a play late in the first half. With 26 seconds remaining in the second quarter, and on the Chiefs side of the field, quarterback Bryce Young found Sanders down the right sideline for a 10-yard gain that moved the chains.
To preserve time, Sanders ran out of bounds, stopping the clock. But when he did, two Chiefs defenders converged, Sanders flipped and landed on the crown of his head on the way down.
When the cart finally drove Sanders off, he raised both arms briefly, offering a thumbs up that gave the crowd and both teams a bit of reprieve.
“The football part kind of turns off at a time like that and we all are just—it’s really, really rough to see,” Young said. “We’re all praying for him and we all just, in that moment, just want him to be healthy.”
While a more extensive diagnosis is not yet known, Canales shared Sanders continued to have movement in his extremities.
“Yes, all that was true,” Canales said of the report. “But just a really scary play…it was a very scary play for JT. So, again, we’ll get more information about that and let you know.”
The Panthers (3-8) face a divisional opponent next week, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-6). Sanders status for that game likely won’t be known until later in the week. But for now, the team will continue to turn off the football part of it, as Young said, instead focusing on being there for their teammate.
Said Young, “JT, obviously, he’s done a lot of great things on the field and worked super hard but he’s an even better person. Someone that we all love in the locker room, all respect, how hard he works. Just the type of guy he is, who cares about everyone, always happy for everyone.”
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